One act plays performed by the Players at the Settlement, typically in the spring, that either go to Festivals during spring/summer or support festival plays at the Settlement one act evening in April.
The Settlement Players have always been keen supporters of drama festivals, and were involved in running the Letchworth drama festival (1938-1957) and Letchworth Little Theatre drama festival (1963-2003). The Players staged their own internal festival in the intervening years. The Players have regularly taken one act plays to Bedford, Sawston, Barton and Welwyn Garden City and returned with Prizes.
It is sometimes reported that the Players opened the first Welwyn drama festival in 1929. This is a myth. The Players performed The Two Gentlemen of Soho (which opened the first Welwyn festival) during the 45th Welwyn Festival in 1979.
Date
|
Production
|
Author
|
Producer
|
1923 |
|
|
|
1924 |
Pride and Prejudice (scenes) |
Jane Austen |
|
1925 |
The Marriage Will Not Take Place |
Alfred Sutro |
|
1926 |
|
|
|
1927 |
A Midsummer Nights Dream (excerpt) |
William Shakespeare |
|
1928 |
|
|
|
1929 |
|
|
|
1930 |
|
|
|
1931 |
|
|
|
1932 |
|
|
|
1933 |
The Lovely Miracle |
Philip Johnson |
Winifred Swan |
1934 |
St. Simeons Stylites |
F. Sladen Smith |
|
1935 |
|
|
|
1936 |
|
|
|
1937 |
Solomon’s Folly |
Sydney Box |
|
1938 |
Gods Jailer |
G. A. Thomas |
Ken Ponder |
|
The Man Who Wouldn’t go to Heaven |
F. Sladen Smith |
Ken Spinks |
1939 |
Solomon’s Folly |
Sydney Box |
Ken Spinks |
|
The Red Velvet Goat |
Josephina Niggli |
Ken Spinks |
1940 |
Call to Kenilworth |
Bernard Youngman |
Ken Spinks |
|
20th Century Lullaby and Cats of Egypt |
Cedric Mount, T. B. Morris |
Gwen Spinks |
1941 |
|
|
|
1942 |
Mimes and One Act Play |
T. B. Morris |
|
1943 |
|
|
|
1944 |
|
|
|
1945 |
|
|
|
1946 |
Puppet Show |
Sydney Box |
Gwen Spinks |
1947 |
Mute Swan |
Winifred Wall |
Ken Spinks |
|
Lucrezia Borgia’s Little Party |
A. J. Talbot |
Gwen Spinks |
1948 |
The Bear |
Anton Chekhov |
Noel Ripley |
1949 |
Willow, Woe is Me |
Dorothy Carr |
Gwen Spinks |
1950 |
Before you Roast your Beef |
T. B. Morris |
Noel Ripley |
1951 |
The Widow of Heardingas |
Edward Percy |
Gwen Spinks |
1952 |
The Night Outlives your Bravery |
Monte Middleton |
Gwen Spinks |
1953 |
The Pie and the Tart |
Hugh Chesterman |
Gwen Spinks |
|
Cats of Egypt |
T. B. Morris |
Ken Spinks |
1954 |
Festival |
A. A. Milne, Hedi Hughes, Archie Douglas, Anton Chekhov |
Ella Edwards,
Hedi Hughes, Winnie Stubbs,
Noel Ripley |
|
Flower of Youth |
Archie Douglas |
Winnie Stubbs |
|
Back to Methuselah (excerpt) |
G. B. Shaw |
Ken Spinks |
1955 |
The Spartan Girl |
A. J. Talbot adapted from Euripides |
Noel Ripley , Ken Spinks |
1956 |
The Ring Game |
L de Franquen |
Ken Spinks |
1957 |
The play of Noah and the Flood |
Unknown Author |
Noel Ripley |
1958 |
Festival of Plays |
Guida Swan, James Innes, F. Sladen Smith |
|
|
The Poison Party |
F. Sladen Smith |
Hugh Bidwell |
1959 |
Festival of Plays |
James Innes, Maurice Coles, Oscar Wilde, Guida Swan |
James Innes, Jacqueline Smedley, William Pearce, Ella Edwards |
|
Cradle Song (Excerpt) |
G and M Sierra |
Gwen Spinks |
1960 |
The Senora; Merry-Go-Round; This is Impossible |
Arthur Swinson, Sydney Box, Patrick Hamilton |
Ken Spinks |
|
Festival of Plays |
Guida Swan & Joan Hyde, Ben W Levy, James Innes |
|
|
Merry Go Round |
Sydney Box |
Ken Spinks |
|
1961 |
|
|
|
1962 |
Festival of One Act Plays |
Charles Lee, A. J. Talbot, Philip Johnson, Antony Booth |
Hugh Bidwell, Patricia Smedley, Charles Taylor, Joan Dixon |
|
The Pie and the Tart |
Hugh Chesterman |
Gwen Spinks |
1963 |
Antigone |
Jean Anoulih |
Noel Ripley , Joan Dixon |
1964 |
Mr Sampson |
Charles Lee |
|
1965 |
The River Line (act 2) |
Charles Morgan |
Janet Tate |
1966 |
The Caucasian Chalk Circle |
Bertolt Brecht |
Noel Ripley |
1967 |
Riders to the Sea |
J. M. Synge |
Noel Ripley |
|
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime (act 2) |
Constance Cox, adapted from Oscar Wilde |
Gwen Spinks |
1968 |
Great Catherine (acts 1, 2 and 4) |
G. B. Shaw |
Maurice Coles |
1969 |
The Generation Factor |
Maurice Coles |
Maurice Coles |
1970 |
The Little Peasant |
Alan Cohen |
Ena Cohen |
1971 |
The Conquest of Everest |
Arthur Kopit |
Noel Ripley |
1972 |
Barnstable |
James Saunders |
Grace Husson |
|
Hobson’s Choice (act 1) |
Harold Brighouse |
Winnie Stubbs |
1973 |
The Happy Journey |
Thornton Wilder |
Michael Everitt |